13th WIOMSA Scientific Symposium
Monday 29th September 2025, Mombasa, Kenya
Enhancing nutrition security through regional collaboration: advancing high-quality analytical data on aquatic foods
We are proud to co-host the mini-symposia proposals at WIOMSA 2025. The symposium will be held at the PrideInn Hotels, Resorts & Camps in Mombasa on monday the 29th of September, 16:00-17:40 local time.
Aquatic foods are rich sources of essential micronutrients, including iodine, selenium, iron, zinc, and vitamin D, in addition to omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital for human health. Despite their nutritional value, aquatic foods are often overlooked in global food policies and dietary strategies aimed at addressing micronutrient deficiencies and improving overall public health. This oversight is largely due to limited data on their nutritional value and accessibility. This workshop will examine the role of high-quality analytical data in bridging this gap, ensuring the importance of aquatic foods are recognised and better integrated into food systems to enhance food security and nutrition across the Western Indian Ocean region (WIO).
The session will emphasize the importance of accurate and WIO-specific data on the nutrient composition of aquatic foods. Such data is essential for understanding nutrient intakes, assessing dietary gaps, and developing targeted interventions to improve nutrient intake such as realistic food-based dietary guidelines and solutions that serve a dual-purpose in developing sustainable food systems that produce nutritious diets for all. The workshop will highlight successful case studies from East Africa, showcasing how collaborative regional efforts can generate reliable data to inform policies, practices, and programs.
By fostering dialogue and knowledge exchange, this session aims to inspire new collaborations and data-driven approaches to maximize the potential of aquatic foods in improving dietary quality and health outcomes. Attendees will leave with practical insights on leveraging regional cooperation to enhance food-based strategies that support sustainable food security and nutrition in the WIO region.
